The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-20
FIGHTING JOE HOOKER.
How a Gallant Soldier Won So Dis
tinguished q Title.

The Buffalo Times contains war cor
respondence of interest. The writer
says: Although we all suspected long
before the battle of Williamsburg that
Joe Hooker was as full of fight as IN
egg is of substance, yet it remained for
the battle of Williamsburg to give him
the so3riquet of Fighting Joe," which
name will endure SO long as history re-
cords the achievements of the most
prominent commander of the Ameri-
can army.
Tall in proportions and straight as
the Northern pine, astriding his saddle
with an ease and grace that gave 10
man and steed the nickname of the
"ceDtaur Of the Army Ct the POTOMAC"
his ford, youthful complexion seemed
at variance beside the GROWING locks
! of grey tinged hair, and those keen,
penetrating eyes, which years after
wards pierced the murky atmosphere
on the summit of Lookout Mountain
while fighting the memorable battle
above the clouds, would soften and
molsten when witnessing the sufferiDgs
Of the humblest private soldier who
wore the blue. Our country was formed
| by one Joe Hooker during the throes
OF our late civil war. God grant that
another Hooker may be on hand if in
ternal strife or foreign complications
should demand the final arbitrament
of the sword.
As l said, the battle of Williamsburg
gave him the name of Fighting Joe,"
| q name which even our oppon-
ents freely admitted was exactly
suited to the temperament of
the man. The Confederates evacuated
Yorktown during the night while keep
| ing up a terrible bombardment against
our besieging trenches. As morning
dawned Berdan's shsrpshooters, who
were lying prone upon the ground in
skirmish order, suspected something
amiss. Upon this sudden cessation Of
the enemy's heavy guns an advance of
every alternate man was made, and the
result was found to be that during
THE FIERCE BoMBARDMENT
the Confederates had silently folded
their tents and stolen away during the
darkness of the preceding night.
| Were We rejoiced at it2 Some were.
| Was Hooker2 No, emphatically no.
| He was all impatient to follow, and that
Immediately.
He was satisfied Mcclellan ordered
Heinzelmann's corps, to which Hook
er's division belonged, to follow up the
1 retreating army forthwith. Did Hooker
! daily? Not much. The ink had
scarcely dried on the paper npon which
the general-in-chiet's order was indited
when Hooker, at the head of his divis.
ion, was in full pursuit of the retreating
foe.
Is there anyone among the survivors
of Rockers old division that forgets
that day? The drenching rain, the
road converted into quagmire by the
resreating Confederate army, and lined
on either side by disabled and over
turned wagons, ambulances, guns, Gals
sons. and everything that would retard
the fight Of hard pressed, retreating
army, will never be forgotten.
Was that toilsome pursuit ever TO
end2 1t was, and that most summsr-
| lily. Williamsburg had long before
been prepared for the second line of
Confederate defense. Forts, riflepits,
ahattis, and about half a mile in front
was dense forest of fallen timber, and
intertwined by telegraph wires amongst
the spreading foliage was that timber
slashing so ingeniously contrived, that
even upon q peaceable errand it would
be slow and laboIious task for q trav-
eler to penetrate 1t without many fails;
how much more difficult then, for one
division of about 1900 men TO toll
through the intricacies OF that slashing
while enfiIaded by the shot, shell and
musketry OF almost the entire Confed-
crate party7
Yet that is just what Hooker did.
With his unsupported division he
penetrated that slashing under the
most deadly FIRE that ever single di-
vision Was exposed to, reached the mar
row open space which divided the slash
ing from the chiveux de frieze in front
OF the earthwork, when gallant 49,. -
OLD PHIL. EEARSEY
cams up and said: zoe, by -, came
as quick as 1 could with my division.
You got ahead of me this time, and
opened the ball on your cwn account;
but - me if you'll ever have this chance
again while I'm around" ra- .--.
Hooker smiled and warmly shook the
hand of our gallant one-armed general
Well, Phil, said he, casting a sorrow.
full glance behind, 1.-The greatest portion
OF my poor boys are lying back there in
the slashing, and" continued he with
an emotion that eye-witnesses will
never forget, hereafter, Phil, we'd
better go in snooks. as We used to
say at school. Williamsburg is fought
and won, the rebels are in full retreat
again, but believe me, Phil. Kearney,
that could bring back to life one man
alone of my division who lies stiff and
cold back there, l would cast asids all
praise, honor or benefit that this victory
may bring me-
well, Joe, ;" responded Kearney, we
are here for war. War means death to
some, and grief and wailing in the far
distant homes of the slain. It may be
your turn next, or it may be mine.
Hancock has just charged and taken
Fort Magruder, SO. here, take a cigar
and lets get our divisions in IL otion and
follow them closer than their shadows"
Hooker was instantly himself again.
The prospect of another fight was tails.
manic to him. The dead were buried,
the wounded tenderly cared for, and
Hooker was not much behind the ad
vance of the army of the Potomac when
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